MGS: One Drink
by Catch23North
Summary: No matter how wild the creature, if you feed it and care for it, it might start to like you... UST, Snake/Otacon


MGS: ONE DRINK

(Takes place after the 'Metal Gear REX' incident, but before 'Sons of Liberty')

* * *

SNAKE:

It's been Forty-eight hours. I can already see this thing with Otacon isn't going to work. The disused cabin outside Trapper Creek is dead quiet, no friendly whines and snuffles at the door, no half-wild noses raised in song.

I called Corey Fletcher from the heliport. He'll never understand why I disappeared like that, but I know he'll be good to my dogs.

...DAMN it's quiet.

When the drugs wore off yesterday, I slept for fourteen hours straight. Long, warm, dead sleep that left me stupid and sore this morning. My whole left shoulder feels like one huge bruise, though whether that's from the fight with METAL GEAR REX, or from when the Jeep flipped over, I don't know.

Could be both.

I hear the squeak of the screen door opening behind me and Hal shuffles out, his steps uneven. He's pissing me off. Under the ace bandage, his ankle's turned a sort of plum color. Hal shouldn't be out here. Does he want me to-

"Um, Dave? I brought you something."

Hal hands me a blue plastic coffee mug that steams in the cold, and smells pleasantly of salt. Bullion cubes. He must have found a pack in the cupboard. God only knows how old those things are, I sure didn't buy them...

Smells good, though.

I take a drag on my cigarette, then hold it in my left hand while I take the mug from him. Hal looks relieved.

"Thanks," I say.

He gives me a smile, then wraps his arms around himself uncomfortably. I drink, and I'm shocked by how good it tastes. Water, salt and calories, in one simple delivery system. Exactly what I'd been missing. I drink too fast, and I can feel it burning all the way down to my stomach, like good whiskey. The warmth spreads swiftly, and I can feel my face flush.

I take a breath, and shut my eyes for a moment.

"I thought the nanites might have worn off by now, so-" Hal begins, encouraged. His skin is pale in this cold, and the red patches of wind-burn along his cheekbones look bad enough.

"-Go back inside," I interrupt him, with a nod towards the door.

Hal stops talking, mouth open, and blinks a few times. Then he shuts it and nods, turning to go.

I flick the end of my cigarette into the snow quickly, and drop a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Hal-"

"Yes?" he looks back at me.

"Thanks," I tell him, "-Really."

"...You're weird, Snake," Hal states carefully, and goes back inside.

The slight turn at the corner of my mouth breaks out into a tight, wolfish grin.

...Did he just SAY that?

* * *

OTACON:

"-And that one?" I ask, pointing.

"That's Dubhe. It's part of Ursa Major, you know, the big dipper."

"What's the group out in front of it?"

"Right in front of it, or over there?" Dave asks.

"The bright ones further away," I reply, pointing vaguely.

"The ones that look like a circle, or a box?" Dave asks.

"Circle."

"That's Auriga, the Charioteer. The bright one pointing towards Polaris is Capella, one of his goats."

"GOATS?"

Dave shrugs modestly, as if all this was his idea. Stalks of early Summer grass tickle at the back of my neck.

"What about that little fuzzy spot down and to the right?" I ask.

Dave pauses, then passes me the high-powered field glasses he's been using.

I focus carefully, and the cloud resolves itself into cold, twitchy clarity.

"There's six of them- -no, seven... Wait, I know this one. It's the Pleiades, right?"

"That's right," Dave looks over at me, quietly pleased.

"And there?" I ask.

"Jupiter," Dave smiles. "You still wanna go?"

"Okay, but this time I get to drive," I joke back.

Dave stares at me for a moment. It's too dark to see his eyes clearly, but I can feel them.

"...Unless- ...you- ...really wanted to drive...?" I begin, doubtfully.

Dave watches me for a moment or two longer, then looks back up at the stars, and sighs under his breath. He fishes a pack of smokes out of his shirt pocket and lights one, the ember glowing hotly in the darkness as he takes a drag.

"I really wish I knew what you were thinking sometimes," he says.

"So, ask me," I reply.

Dave doesn't speak right away, but the ember dips.

"...Okay. What are you thinking?" he asks.

"Right now, I'm thinking those cigarettes are really bad for you."

Dave laughs in the dark, a faint gleam of teeth visible in the starlight.

"Is that right?"

"Dave, I'm serious. You should quit. -I'll help you."

Dave's free hand covers mine over the binoculars.

"I know you would," he says kindly, with no trace of condescension.

"So you're going to quit smoking?"

"I didn't say that..." Dave begins, withdrawing his hand.

* * *

SNAKE:

Oh, shit... I don't need this. Not now. Not when I have to live with the guy...

I bite the edge of the tape, and tear off enough to cover the s-rolled strap at my shoulder.

Across the room, Hal's already beginning his run. He's working two screens at once, one showing a US Navy desktop, the other streaming lines of green code across a black background as he types. I have no idea what it all means, but he hasn't started talking to himself yet, so he must be doing good.

I check my gear over one last time, putting hands on each weapon and pouch so I -know- they'll be there... and I'm ready.

I drop a hand on Hal's shoulder, and he looks up at me with a smile.

"Ready to go, Snake?"

"Yeah," I nod.

"I'll be with you every step of the way," he promises, "-just tune your codec to frequency 121.6 if you need anything."

"You got the scrambler in?" I ask.

"Oh, yeah. I encrypted it off the national weather service data for yesterday, and gave it a two-digit offset," he explains, typing a few more lines.

"Good," I hook an arm around Hal's head for a moment, and kiss the top of his hair.

...I shouldn't have done that, but I think I got away with it.

"Stay safe," I order, "-I'll call you when I reach the perimeter fence."

"You got it, Snake."

Is it just me, or does he sound more chipper than he did a minute ago?

Of -course- it's just me. Damn, I've got to get my head in the game.

I smoke and I drive, and by the time I get on base, I'm THERE.

...Time to go steal my brother's dead body.

-


End file.
